Comprehensive Geriatric Training Programs
Donald W. Reynolds Foundation
Located in America's heartland, in a state with one of the largest concentrations of rural elderly residents, the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) is poised for a major advance in geriatric medicine training for students, residents, fellows, faculty, and practicing physicians. The medical school is a leader in problem-based learning (PBL) and has built its medical student curriculum during an AAMC/Hartford program grant. The Interdisciplinary Center on Aging at MU brings together resources from the schools of medicine, nursing, and health professions.
MU was in the second cohort of 10 medical schools to receive awards from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation valued at nearly $2 million. There has been a third cohort and a fourth is planned. Since receiving this award, we have developed successful partnerships with MU's Office of Medical Education and its departments of family medicine, internal medicine, and orthopaedic surgery .
During the past four years we have accomplished the following goals
- Developed new PBL cases based on MU Principles of Geriatric Care.
- Expanded the Student Teacher Educator Partnership linking first year medical students with seniors in the community.
- Established Geriatric Interest Group – led by students, meetings often drawing 30 students. Student organize Reflections on Aging photo contest.
- Developed a home visit after hospital program for clerkship students on family medicine.
- Created internet based cases for internal medicine clerkship students.
- Developed a geriatric medicine curriculum and chronic care curriculum for family medicine residents including time in geriatric assessment clinic, hospital based consults, hospice, and home visits.
- Created clinical pathways for pneumonia, hip fracture, palliative care, DNAR orders.
- Sustained the Caring for the Frail Elderly Conference that attracts over 250 people yearly.
- Started Chronicles in Aging in collaboration with MU Interdisciplinary Center on Aging. (www.aging.missouri.edu)
- Created our own Reynolds Programs in Geriatrics website: (http://reynolds.umh.edu)
- We are currently working on five OSCEs of geriatric patients that will evaluate attitudes and skills in patient centered care and address the core competencies in geriatric medicine proposed by the AAMC.
For more information, contact:
Steven Zweig, MD, MSPH
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